The Scotland Malawi Partnership (SMP) is a
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
umbrella organisation
An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and iden ...
which co-ordinates the activities of Scottish individuals and organisations with existing links to Malawi, and aims to foster further links between both countries. It is a
charitable membership organisation, with over 1,100 members. It is independent of the
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in ...
and
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...
, although it works closely with both.
Vision
The partnership's vision in 2023 was "To inspire and support Scottish society to work in solidarity with the people of Malawi in an informed, co-ordinated, and equitable way – ever mindful of the legacy of colonial rule - for the benefit of both nations.
"
History
Scottish links with Malawi

Links between Scotland and Malawi began with
David Livingstone's journeys up the
Zambezi
The Zambezi (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Its drainage basin covers , slightly less than half of t ...
and
Shire
Shire () is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries. It is generally synonymous with county (such as Cheshire and Worcestershire). British counties are among the oldes ...
Rivers to
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, () is an African Great Lakes, African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.
It is ...
in 1859,
long before the borders of the nation of Malawi were established. Both the
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...
and the
Free Church of Scotland had established missions in Malawi by the mid-1870s. These missionaries persuaded the
UK government
His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. to declare the area a
British Protectorate
British protectorates were protectorates under the jurisdiction of the British government. Many territories which became British protectorates already had local rulers with whom the Crown negotiated through treaty, acknowledging their status wh ...
. This colonial arrangement lasted until independence was declared on 6 July 1964, when Malawi becoming a member of the
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
.
Origins
The Scotland Malawi Partnership developed from the 'Malawi Millennium Project' of the
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde () is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal charter in 1964 as the first techn ...
and
Bell College, in response to the belief that there was a need to bring together under a single umbrella the many organizations and individuals throughout Scotland engaged in fostering and developing links between Scotland and Malawi.
The partnership was launched in the
Glasgow City Chambers
The City Chambers or Municipal Buildings in Glasgow, Scotland, has functioned as the headquarters of Glasgow City Council since 1996, and of preceding forms of municipal government in the city since 1889. It is located on the eastern side of the ...
on 22 April 2004 by the
Lord Provost
A lord provost () is the convenor of the local authority, the civic head and the lord-lieutenant of one of the principal cities of Scotland. The office is similar to that of a lord mayor. Only the cities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Stirlin ...
s of
Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
and
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
, with the support of Ibrahim Milazi, the High Commissioner of Malawi, and representatives from the Universities of
Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
and
Strathclyde
Strathclyde ( in Welsh language, Welsh; in Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic, meaning 'strath alley
An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, footpath, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane), or a path, w ...
of the River Clyde') was one of nine former Local government in Scotland, local government Regions and districts of Scotland, regions of Scotland cre ...
, the
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...
, and the
Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF).
The Lord Provost of Glasgow and Dr Peter West (Secretary of the University of Strathclyde) thereafter travelled to Malawi, and, with the support of Norman Ling, the (then) British
High Commissioner, and numerous prominent Malawians, established the Malawi Committee of the Scotland Malawi Partnership which held its first meeting on 28 September 2004.
In 2005 the Scottish First Minister
Jack McConnell's head of communications
Susan Dalgety visited Malawi
to organise the first official visit by the Scottish government.
Developments since formation
On 29 April 2005 the Scotland Malawi Partnership held a 'Shaping the Partnership' consultative conference at the University of Strathclyde, attended by approximately 100 people – representatives of NGOs, universities, small charities, hospitals and individuals with an interest in Malawi. Guests heard speeches from Ms
Patricia Ferguson
Patricia Josephine Ferguson (born 24 September 1958) is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow West since 2024. Ferguson previously served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Maryhil ...
MSP, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport; The Lord Provost of Glasgow; Professor
David Rubadiri, Vice Chancellor of the
University of Malawi; Dr Peter West and the Rev
Howard Matiya Nkhoma, General Secretary of the
Livingstonia Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP). The proposed structure and remit of the partnership were decided upon.
The Interim Board had Rev Prof Ken Ross as the chair and Dr Peter West as the Vice Chair. The three founding members of the Scotland Malawi Partnership were the Malawi Millennium Project, Malawi Tomorrow and Child Survival in Malawi.
Working in collaboration with the , The partnership organised a
Scottish Executive funded 'Malawi Health Workshop' in 2005, attended by over 65 Scottish health professionals.
November 2005 was a significant month for the Scotland Malawi Partnership. The partnership's conference, 'Malawi After Gleneagles: A Commission for Africa Case-Study', was held at the
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...
, involving over 250 delegates from Malawi and Scotland engaged in debates about international development. The
First Minister
A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of ' ...
,
Jack McConnell MSP, and the late
President of Malawi
The president of the Republic of Malawi () is the head of state and head of government of Malawi. The president leads the executive branch of the Government of Malawi and is the commander-in-chief of the Malawian Defence Force. The current ...
,
Dr Bingu wa Mutharika, were keynote speakers – and during the President's visit the Cooperation Agreement between Scotland and Malawi was signed.
Other important developments in November 2005 were the first applications for membership of the Scotland Malawi Partnership and confirmation of secure funding from the Scottish Executive (now
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in ...
) for two and a half years. The partnership became a legal entity on 12 December 2005 as a Scottish Charity (SC037048) and a
Company Limited by Guarantee
A company limited by guarantee (CLG) is a type of company where the liability of members in the event the company is wound up is limited to a (typically very small) amount listed in the company's articles or constitution. Most have no share ca ...
(SC294378). In the process, the partnership's Memorandum and
Articles of Association
In corporate governance, a company's articles of association (AoA, called articles of incorporation in some jurisdictions) is a document that, along with the memorandum of association (where applicable), forms the company's constitution. The ...
were also ratified.
From May 2006 a full-time coordinator, Leo Williams, was appointed, working from the
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde () is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal charter in 1964 as the first techn ...
. Assisted by seed funding from the Interim Board, the Malawi Committee held its launch at the Capital Hotel in
Lilongwe
Lilongwe (, ,) is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It has a population of 989,318 as of the 2018 Census, up from a population of 674,448 in 2008. In 2020, that figure was 1,122,000. The city is located in the central region of Malawi, i ...
, attended by
Patricia Ferguson
Patricia Josephine Ferguson (born 24 September 1958) is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow West since 2024. Ferguson previously served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Maryhil ...
(then
Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport) and a delegation from the Scottish Executive, as well as numerous prominent Malawians. The Scotland Malawi Partnership was registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee in Malawi (7852) on 4 May 2006.
June 2006 saw the Lord Provosts of Edinburgh and Glasgow become Honorary Presidents of the Scotland Malawi Partnership. In collaboration with the Committee of Malawians in Scotland, the partnership staged a 'Malawi Independence Celebration' on 1 July to introduce the partnership to Malawians. Guests of honour included His Excellency Dr
Francis Moto (Malawi High Commissioner to the UK), His Honour Colin Cameron (Malawi Honorary Consul to Scotland), Patricia Ferguson MSP and the Moyenda Band.
In August 2006 the Scotland Malawi Partnership relocated from an office in the University of Strathclyde to
Edinburgh City Chambers
Edinburgh City Chambers in Edinburgh, Scotland, is the meeting place of the City of Edinburgh Council and its predecessors, Edinburgh Corporation and Edinburgh District Council. It is a Category A listed building.
History
The current building ...
.
With the transition to a
Scottish National Party (SNP) Government in May 2007, the SNP launched a pledge which successfully persuaded the new administration to continue supporting Malawi – soon after they announced that at least £3 million per year from the International Development Fund would be reserved ("ring fenced") for Malawi projects.
Activities and impacts
Since its inception in 2004, the Scotland Malawi Partnership has staged organisational conferences in Edinburgh and Glasgow, bringing together representatives of Malawian and Scottish civil societies, governments, churches, educational institutions and NGOs, as well as workshops dealing specifically with issues relating to health and education. Malawi Independence Celebrations are held in Scotland annually around 6 July to commemorate Malawian independence from the United Kingdom in 1964.
The partnership circulates regular weekly news bulletins and monthly newsletters to members, detailing developments in the relationship between Scotland and Malawi, key news from Malawi, reports from members, partnership news, and upcoming events.
In 2007, the SMP hosted 3 stakeholder meetings focused on funding, health links and agriculture. These meetings were attended by 57 participants from 42 different organisations. Three workshops in relation to educational links and "best practice" were also held, attended by 150 individuals representing 43 different members of the partnership and 50 non members (schools, colleges and universities attending the Partnerships in Education Workshop). The partnership has also been involved in microfinance, governance, housing cooperatives and school partnerships.
58 projects benefited from Scottish government funding by 2007, including the
Mary's Meals which feeds Malawian schoolchildren, and the Malawi Millennium Project which delivered equipment to schools for visually impaired children.
The partnership can assist with visa problems. An example was the St Patrick's Minor Seminary in
Rumphi. The seminary had a partnership with St Benedict's High School in Scotland and three days before a planned visit in 2018 they were told that their applications for visas were rejected. The visas were restored after the Partnership contacted members of parliament who raised it in the commons. The recovery was achieved, but the responsible department did not want to discuss how it could be avoided.
The SMP works closely with its sister organisation in Malawi which is called the Malawi Scotland Partnership (MaSP). In 2019 the MaSP's Chair was
Anne Phoya.
In 2025 the partnership decided to change its image licensing to be
Creative Commons cc-by-sa. This would allow them to be legally used by anyone on condition that they are attributed.
It was also involved in supporting the launch of a Scotland Chapter of the UK-Malawi Chamber of Commerce. This was made in collaboration with Malawi's High Commissioner,
Thomas John Bisika, with a scheduled first event in Edinburgh in June 2025.
Academic Exchange
The partnership administers an Academic Exchange programme, which provides for the exchange of academic staff, administrators and librarians between the Universities of Scotland and Malawi. Over the period between 2007 and 2010, the project exchanged 24 'Fellows' – 12 Scottish, 12 Malawian. The first Scottish Fellow was David Bone. Mr Bone was attached to the Theology and Religious Studies Department at
Chancellor College. Solomon Dindi was the first fellow from Malawi. He visited the
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde () is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal charter in 1964 as the first techn ...
's IT Services Department. He went on to manage improvements to Malawi's information infrastructure.
EDUCATION VISIT
There are schools in Scotland that supports Malawi schools. Most Malawian schools are catholic. St Peters catholic school in
Mzuzu, Malawi saw a group of students from the school visit St Michael's Academy,
Kilwinning
Kilwinning (, ; ) is a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located on the banks of the River Garnock in Ayrshire, west/central Scotland, about southwest of Glasgow. Kilwinning's neighbours are the coastal towns of Stevenston to the west an ...
in Scotland on an education visit in March 2006. The group had a chance to visit the Scottish Parliament and talk with the then first Minister of Scotland,
Jack McConnell. The school remains in partnership with Scotland through St Matthews Academy, after St Michael's Academy merged with St Andrews Academy. The students were each assigned to a Scottish family.
School Partnerships Working Group
In November 2006 the Scotland Malawi Partnership formed a School Partnership Working Group to coordinate requests from
Scottish schools to create partnerships with
Malawian schools. This working group brings together numerous organisations involved in school partnerships, including the
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in ...
,
Scottish International Relief,
UNICEF
UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
,
Link Community Development, the
League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers, the
British Council
The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...
,
ScotDec, the
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...
, the
International Development Education Association of Scotland (IDEAS), and representatives of schools with existing partnerships.
In recent years, school links between Malawi and Scotland have increased from around 10 schools to around 100. A large number of the Scottish schools involved in these partnerships are members of the SMP.
Organisational structure and members
The Board
The partnership has a board of directors, a chair, three co-vice chairs; and approximately a dozen members. In January 2025 the Partnership appointed Professor Jeremy Bagg to succeed Professor Heather Cubie as the chair. The partnership board also agreed the three voluntary vice chairs. The senior vice-chair was Susan Dalgety.
CEO
Stuart Brown became the interim CEO in January 2023 taking over from David Hope-Jones OBE
who became one of the youngest recipients of an OBE in 2016 while serving as the CEO. In 2023 his resignation after nearly fifteen years with the partnership was noted in the Scottish parliament.
Committees
The partnership has three committees to manage organisational functioning – Audit and Finance Committee; Policy and Strategy Committee; and Staffing Committee.
Forums
In order to give members the opportunity to exchange information on a subject specific basis, the partnership developed five forums:
*Higher and Further Education Forum
*Primary and Secondary School Forum
*Business, Investment, Trade and Tourism Forum
*Governance Forum
*Health Links Forum
The different forums host meetings throughout the year in order to discuss relevant issues in Malawi and exchange advice and expertise on each topic. Members are welcome to join any forum. The partnership also actively encourages anyone with links or interests in Malawi to attend the forums to share or develop their knowledge and views.
The partnership has also launched a youth membership category at the Scottish Parliament in 2012. The event was attended by over 200 guests including Minister for External Affairs and International Development,
Humza Yousaf
Humza Haroon Yousaf (; born 7 April 1985) is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from March 2023 to May 2024. He served under his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon as Scottish ...
MSP, and
Maureen Watt
Maureen Elizabeth Watt (born 23 June 1951) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician and former Minister for Mental Health (Scotland), Minister for Mental Health in the Scottish Government. She was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP ...
MSP. It was a networking event; aimed at enabling schools, young people aged 16–24, charities, and organisations with interests in Malawi to share their knowledge. The youth membership grew by nearly 100 new members.
Princess Anne
Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950) is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of King ...
is the Honorary Patron of the SMP as was the late Malawian President
Dr Bingu wa Mutharika.
References
{{reflist
External links
Website of the Scotland Malawi Partnership
2004 establishments in Scotland
Organizations established in 2004
Charities based in Edinburgh
Organisations based in Edinburgh with royal patronage
Development charities based in the United Kingdom
Malawi–United Kingdom relations
Foreign relations of Scotland
Children's charities based in Scotland
Foreign charities operating in Malawi